The natural history of the Bible ; or, A description of all the quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles, and insects, trees, plants, flowers, gums, and precious stones, mentioned in the sacred scriptures: Collected from the best authorities, and alphabetically arranged / by Thaddeus Mason Harris.

  • Thaddeus Mason Harris
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of the Bible ; or, A description of all the quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles, and insects, trees, plants, flowers, gums, and precious stones, mentioned in the sacred scriptures: Collected from the best authorities, and alphabetically arranged / by Thaddeus Mason Harris. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the historian was merely now to state, that Gop having created the living creatures, Adam gave names to such as were brought before him ; and that he perceived that the creatures were paired, whereas he had no mate. Understanding the passage literally, however, some commen- tators have insisted that all the animals came to present them- selves before Adam, both in acknowledgment of his supremacy, and to receive from him a name; and that this was all done at one time, or in the course of a natural day. But it is not neces- sary to multiply miracles; nor to suppose as PrvRERUS cavils [Systemat. theol. preadamit. hypoth. P. 1. l.i. c. 2. p. 154], that the elephants were to come from the remote parts of India and Africa, the bears from the polar regions, the sloth from South America, together with the various animals, the several kinds of birds, aud the innumerable species of reptiles and in- sects, to say nothing of the tenants of the waters, to receive names from Adam which could be of no use to them, and very little to him, who might never see one of a thousand of them again, or, if he did, be able to recollect the name which he had given. It is enough to suppose, that the animals inhabiting the district in which he dwelt, received from him names; and not that the numerous tribes of living creatures were paraded before him, and that he made a nomenclature of the appellation he saw . fit to give to each. Far less is it necessary to suppose that all the beasts and birds appeared before Adam at once, or even on one and the same day. ‘Though the transaction is related in a few words, we ought not therefore to conclude that it took up only the space of a few hours. If we attend to the circum- stances, we should rather infer that this was a work of consider- able time. Indeed, the words of the historian do not require us to believe that Adam now gave names to all the living creatures, but are rather a remark, that the names which they had were given by him ; not all at once, in the space of one day, for that would have been too much for him, but that he named them, some at one time, and some at another in the course of his life, as they came within the sphere of his observation, or incidents happened to give occasion for his so doing. There are not wanting instances in scripture, where as te Si expressions as this of « every living creature,” admit of great limitation?, |. So Ezek. xxxi. 6. « All the fowls of heaven made their nests in its boughs, and under its branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young, and under its shadow dwelt all great nations. 'T hus when it 1s said, that N oah took all the animals into the ark, it is to be understood that he took pairs or more, as directed, of those which had become domesticated, or particularly belonged to the region in which he dwelt; and the ? Mark, i. 45; Luke, ii. 1; v. 37.